Shoe polishing shield



NOV. 4, 1941. K R I 2,261,102

SHOE POLISHING SHIELD File'd Dec. 9, 1940 L OU/S L. BECKER INVENT R.

A T TORNE Y Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE SHOE POLISHING SHIELD Louis L. Becker, Chicago, Ill. Application December 9, 1940, Serial No. 369,232

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved shoe polishing shield and has, for one of its principal objects, the provision of means which can be readily applied to a shoe before polishing the same whereby a better and neater job is accomplished.

One of the important objects of the invention is the provision of a shoe polishing shield or the like which can be readily positioned in place between the upper and the sole and heel portion of a shoe whereby the soles and heels are shielded when the uppers are being cleaned and polished and whereby the uppers are shielded when the soles and heels are being cleaned and polished.

Still another important object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved device for the protection of shoe portions while being polished, cleaned or otherwise similarly operated upon and is particularly adaptable for such work on white shoes and which comprises a shield adapted to fit around the outside of the shoe, thereby providing a mask or line of demarcation between the upper and the sole and heel portion.

A further important object of the invention lies in the provision of a shoe polishing or cleaning shield which can be readily adjusted to fit substantially any size of shoe and which, furthermore, after being so adjusted will be securely held in desired position while the polishing and cleaning operation is being performed.

Other and further important objects of the in-, vention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is shown in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved shoe cleaning and polishing shield of this invention, showing the general outline and also the adjustable features.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device of Figure 1, illustrating the general contour.

Figure 3 is a plan view somewhat similar to Figure l but illustrating a slight modification of the invention.

Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating a further modified form of the structure shown in Figure 3.

As shown in the drawing:

The reference numerals I2, l4, l6 and I8 of Figure 3 and corresponding reference numerals 34, 36, 38 and 40 of Figure 1 illustrate generally the four members of the improved shoe shining shields of this invention, the same being adapted to be adjustably held together in position about tion.

a shoe during the cleaning and polishing opera In Figure 1, this is accomplished by means of fastening loops 45, four of. which are provided, one at each of the joints between the various. four elements 344l3, the ends of the elements being overlapped as shown in Figure 1 and held together by means of the circumferential bands 48.

Adjustment is provided by integrally struckout projections 42, 44 and 46 which are of such a size that they will slide under the loops 48 when some slight pressure is applied, both the loops and the four portions of the shield being preferably metal although plastics and the like may be used.

It will be noted that the shield of Figure 1 is designed to conform to the configurations of a shoe for the right foot when the device is applied to such a shoe with the element 34 on the outer right-hand side thereof. reversed so that the left shoe may be similarly shielded with the same device, or two devices may be employed as being more convenient.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the elements I2, l4, I6 and I8 are adjustable to fit various sizes of shoes, this adjustment being provided by means of openings 20, 2B and 28 which are formed in adjacent or overlapping portions of the frame elements, and into aligned openings are fitted bolts 10 with winged nuts 30 whereby a simple manipulation will change the effective size of the sheld through three or four size ranges.

In Figure 4, there is illustrated a further modifled formof the invention wherein slots 54 are provided instead of the openings 20, and winged nuts 56 operating on bolts fitted into the slots will enable of a more accurate adjustment of size to practically any shoe. The parts 50 and 52 are bifurcated so that a simple sliding operation will enlarge or reduce the eifective length or width of the shield.

Obviously, the width of the shield portions l2- -l6 or 34-4D may be varied to meet the needs or desires of operators or of special conditions, and the flexibility of the device is such that it can be readily fitted into the joint between the soles and shoe uppers and will conform to the curvature which is practically always present in the longitudinal dimension of the ordinary shoe.

In operation, the shield is applied to a shoe with the portions somewhat expanded so that it can be readily fitted over the shoe after which the shield parts are brought together into close contact with the shoe at the joint between the upper and the sole and heel portions and the Obviously, this can be clamps 48 or the wing nuts 30 or the wing nuts 56 adjusted so as to produce a tight fitting relationship. The cleaning or polishing operation or both can then proceed, and it will be obvious that the upper is protected from any dirt, muddy liquid or other foreign matter which might splash, splatter or otherwise emanate from the sole and heel portion during the cleaning and polishing operation. Oftentimes, a polish of one color is applied to the sole and heel portion, and a polish of another color to the upper, and the shield of this invention will be especially efiective in masking and protecting one portion of a shoe from such cleaning and polishing operations on the other portion.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shoe polishing shield, comprising a plurality of fiat strips shaped and loosely joined to conform to the outer contour of a shoe, and means for adjustably fastening the elements in fixed relationship about a shoe, said adjusting means including integral protuberances in the adjacent and overlapped portions of the separate shield elements, and resilient band means encircling said overlapped portions and adapted to maintain the protuberances in contacting and gripped relationship.

2. A shoe polishing shield, comprising a plurality of fiat strips shaped and loosely joined to conform to the outer contour of a shoe, and means for adjustably fastening the elements in fixed relationship about a shoe, said means comprising bolts and winged nuts passing through aligned openings in the overlapped ends of the elements.

3. A shoe polishing shield, comprising a plurality of fiat strips shaped and loosely joined to conform to the outer contour of a shoe, and means for adjustably fastening the elements in fixed relationship about a shoe, said means comprising bolts and Winged nuts fitted into slots in the overlapped portions of the elements.

LOUIS L. BECKER. 

